Hornblower and the Loss of Command
by robyn redhead
Summary: Following a disastrous mission in France, Horatio Hornblower is forced to step down as Captain, an honour which is passed on to his loyal Lieutenant, Mr Bush. Tension builds between the two comrades, tension which is further increased when Mr Bush's sister, Alice, makes an appearance on scene. Possible Hornblower/OC
1. I

_Commander of HMS Hotspur Horatio Hornblower paced methodically up and down his cabin, while his first lieutenant, William Bush, looked on nervously._

"_Sir?" he said, after nearly five whole minutes had passed._

_Hornblower looked up, jolted from his thoughts. "Yes, yes, of course. Sorry, William."_

"_What's the news, Sir?"_

_Hornblower sighed. He had just received word from France that the Earl and Countess of Banbridge were in France, and that their close friend the Duke of Provence wanted to remove them from France safely, to keep them free of harm from the war._

_The Earl and Countess had formed a close friendship with the Duke prior to the war breaking out, and their friendship had remained despite the unpleasantness which was going on around them. It was because of this that the Duke of Provence had requested that Hornblower travel to France with the Hotspur and transport them, along with their daughter, safely back to England._

_Hornblower sighed again, and scanned his eyes once again down the piece of parchment that had arrived from France just moments before. His eyes fell upon a name he hadn't noticed before._

_**Alice Bush, a young girl from England, will also be joining the Earl and Countess of Banbridge, after staying with them on her travels.**_

_**Alice Bush.**_

"_William?" asked Hornblower, suddenly._

"_Yes, Sir?" replied Bush._

"_You don't happen to have a sister, do you?"_

_Bush cracked a faint smile, wondering where on earth his commander was going with this conversation._

"_Why, yes. Yes I do. I believe she is travelling at present. Her name is Alice."_

_Hornblower gulped slightly. "Alice?" he enquired. Bush nodded. "In that case," said Hornblower "It appears we are journeying to France, Mr Bush."_

_As soon as Hornblower had allowed Bush to read the letter, Bush had been insistent that they made for France straight away, his concerns lying expectedly with the welfare of his sister. However, Hornblower was reluctant to make sail right away. Obviously, the instinctive thing to do would be to follow the Duke's orders immediately, but the dangers of travelling into French waters were a big enough worry to Hornblower to make him hesitate slightly. _

"_But Sir," Bush had insisted "My __**sister**__. I don't even know what the devil she was doing in France anyway! I thought she was safe in Germany or Austria or somewhere! And staying with the Earl of Banbridge? It's just absurd!"_

_Bush was moving agitatedly around the cabin, wringing his hands together._

"_Calm yourself, William." Soothed Hornblower. "We will make sail for France as soon as possible. Your sister will be fine, if she is with the Earl and Countess of Banbridge, then I cannot imagine anyone doing anything bad to her."_

_Bush sighed. "I guess you're right."_

_Hornblower clapped him on the shoulder and smiled. "Now, let us get up deck and sail this thing!"_

_Up on deck, a cool breeze was blowing about, and the crew milled about, preparing to make sail from Plymouth. Bush and Hornblower climbed up to the wheel, where they found Mr Prowse, and Hornblower's second lieutenant, Archie Kennedy._

"_Make sail for France, Mr Prowse," informed Hornblower, his decision regarding the situation made._

_Archie looked at Hornblower in surprise. "You are making for France, Horatio?" he enquired "I'm sure you understand the current situation there."_

"_Yes, yes," insisted Hornblower "I assure you I know exactly of the situation with France."_

"_Then why...?" Hornblower couldn't help but smile had his friend's confused face. _

_He passed Archie the parchment and allowed him to read the letter from the Duke, but carefully made it so that Mr Prowse could not read it also. Hornblower did not much like to chance their plans to go travelling around the whole ship through word of mouth. He could only imagine the uproar there would be if the crew knew they were to sail straight into what they called "frog's territory". _

_Archie finished reading the letter and looked up at Bush and Hornblower. He focused particularly on Bush._

"_I never knew you had a sister," he said, and Bush smiled, drily._

"_With the way things are going in France," he said "I doubt I will have a sister much longer," but a look at Hornblower's face made him wave his hand "But I am just over-reacting of course." He finished._

_Archie looked from the letter, to Bush, to Hornblower._

"_So," he addressed Hornblower "you are going to continue with this," he gestured to the letter "this plan?"_

"_Yes," said Hornblower, simply. "We have our orders, Archie, and we must go by them. And I'm sure Mr Bush would have something to say if we decided to leave his sister in France-_

_Bush made to say something,_

_-__**not**__ that anything will happen to her in France, I'm sure." Assured Hornblower, with a slight smile._

_His smile was wiped, however, when he saw Mr Prowse leaning in slightly to their conversation._

"_Mr Prowse!" he barked "I said to set sail immediately! What are we still doing here? On with your work!"_

_Mr Prowse withdrew away from them, muttering "Aye aye, Sir," as he did so. _


	2. II

_Hornblower felt as if his head had barely touched the pillow for his evening sleep, when there was a sharp knock at his cabin door. _

"_Come," he said, groaning slightly as he hoisted himself from his cot._

_It was Mr Prowse. _

_Hornblower sighed. He could tell this was not going to be an amiable meeting. _

"_Yes, Mr Prowse?" he asked, almost irritably now._

"_Sir," he began "Your pardon, Sir, but I must implore you to see the dangers of our current path! Surely you of all people are aware of-_

"_Of course I am aware, Mr Prowse. I do hope that you are not implying that you know more than me of the situation at present."_

"_No, Sir I-_

"_And I hope, Mr Prowse, that it would never even cross your mind to neglect your orders and disobey your captain."_

"_Of course not, Sir," Mr Prowse tried to continue "I was merely saying-_

_But Hornblower had had quite enough, and wanted more than anything to return to his cot, and continue his rest in peace._

"_Mr Prowse," he said, simply "If you have any further problems with my instructions, I suggest you take them up with the Lieutenant of the Watch. I believe it to be Mr Bush. If you remain here any longer, I fear a flogging may be the only outcome for you. Yes," Hornblower continued at Mr Prowse's shocked expression "Even a man of your rank can be flogged when ordered by Senior. Now, good day, Mr Prowse. And next time we meet, I want no more of this nonsense, and I expect you to return to your duty and remember what it is you're supposed to be doing on this ship. Do I make myself clear?"_

_Mr Prowse opened his mouth as though to say something, but changed his mind at the expression on Hornblower's face, and merely muttered an "Aye aye, Sir," before exiting the room._

_Hornblower sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily once Mr Prowse had left. He knew it was treading on dangerous ground to be so short with one of his senior crew, but a man in Hornblower's situation could not afford to have his orders questioned by anyone. _

_At another knock at the door, Hornblower assumed it was Mr Prowse back again, and was shocked at his master's insolence._

"_Mr Prowse," said Hornblower, angrily "I thought I told you to-_

_But it was not Mr Prowse who came in as the door opened. It was Archie. _

"_Oh," said Hornblower, slightly abashed "Your pardon, Archie. I believed you to be Mr Prowse coming back."_

"_Not at all, Sir," said Archie, touching his hat to Hornblower "Mr Bush's compliments, Sir. A sail has been spotted on the far starboard side; just off the horizon."_

_Hornblower sighed again, feeling as though his rest would always remain unfinished. "Alright," he said "I'll come. Thank you, Archie." _

_Archie nodded and left the cabin, closing the door behind him. Hornblower grabbed his hat from his desk, and followed Archie up onto the deck. _

_He found Mr Bush looking through his telescope out onto the horizon. Bush lowered the scope and touched his hat to Hornblower as Hornblower came nearer. _

"_Well, Mr Bush?"_

"_A Spanish frigate, I'd say sir. Ten miles or so."_

"_Telescope!" called Hornblower to the young Midshipman, Baines. Baines quickly obeyed and passed Hornblower his telescope, which Hornblower promptly put to his eye._

_He could see the Spanish flag waving slightly in the breeze. The frigate, for he concurred entirely with Mr Bush that is was indeed a frigate, was vast in size, an easy crew of around three hundred, with approximately thirty two guns. __**Hotspur**__, a mere twenty gun sloop-of-war would be no match for it. But, luckily for them, the Spanish frigate had been spotted with enough time to hopefully avoid battle. But one could never be too careful during this time of war._

"_Mr Bush!" called Hornblower "Order all hands to be ready, if you please. Mr Baines, you will go and assist Mr Bush, please. Action may not be required, but we cannot be too sure." He smiled drily at Bush. _

"_Aye aye, Sir." He said "All hands!" he called, and went down deck to give further orders. Hornblower had sent Baines with Bush, but was not sure how wise a decision this was. From what he had seen from young Baines so far, he could tell he was keen to learn, but was a little prone to panic. The look on his face when the __**Hotspur**__ had merely scraped along a rock when leaving Plymouth had been enough to tell Hornblower that. He wondered how Baines would act in a real threatening situation, and hoped that he would be able to keep his head._

_Hornblower turned to Mr Prowse. "Mr Prowse, steer us well clear from her, please. We do not want to get caught up in anything if we can help it."_

"_Aye, sir." Mr Prowse turned to the Helmsman "Set Northwest-by-west to quarter west," he muttered._

_Hornblower turned his attention back to the frigate through his telescope. They were running a little closer together then he might have liked, for he could now make out the name, __**El Gamo, **__along the side. _

_Nevertheless, Hornblower was not too perturbed, as there was plenty of time to clear it completely. Bush appeared on deck, this time accompanied by Archie. _

_They touched their hats to Hornblower. "All hands are ready, Sir," reported Bush. _

"_Thank you, Mr Bush."_

"_I don't like the look of those guns, Sir, if you don't mind me saying." Mr Prowse's voice drifted over to Hornblower's ears. _

_He internally rolled his eyes. "Yes, __**thank you**__, Mr Prowse. If you continue with your instructions to clear us far away from her, then I'm sure the guns will be of no problem to us." _

"_Mr 'Ornblower, Sir!" came a call from below deck that Hornblower recognised immediately as the boatswain, Matthews. _

_Hornblower leant over the side and looked down at Matthews._

"_Well, what is it?" he called._

"_Mr Baines' compliments I'm sure, Sir, but there seems to be a bit of a slight problem down here!" _

_Mr Baines' compliments he was "sure"? That did not sound good to Hornblower. But a quick look to the horizon to see that they had not yet cleared the frigate was enough to put him off going down to investigate further. _

"_Mr Kennedy!" he selected._

"_Aye, Sir?"_

"_You will go down below and see to the problems there. Make sure Midshipman Baines is functioning properly. Report to me of anything."_

"_Aye aye, Sir."_

"_Mr Prowse!" barked Hornblower "Tell me, why are we still in sight of that Spanish frigate yonder?"_

"_Wind, Sir." Was Mr Prowse's reply. _

"_Wind?" repeated Hornblower._

"_Yes Sir. Wind. Or rather," he added "A lack of it. We cannot steer away from her fast enough at present. We need the wind to pick up a bit."_

"_Oh!" said Hornblower, exasperatedly, his heart racing slightly. "This blasted weather!"_

_He pulled out his telescope and put it to his eye. To his relief, the frigate __**did**__ seem to be getting further away, even if the progress was slow. Hornblower felt his palms become slippery with sweat._

"_Wind's picked up a bit, Sir" said Bush to Hornblower's right. "Perhaps we will avoid her after all."_

_A few tense moments passed, and then-_

"_That's it, Sir," said Mr Prowse "We've steered well cleared of her!" _

_Hornblower check with his telescope. Yes, Mr Prowse was right! The Spanish frigate could barely be seen, and __**Hotspur**__ was making rapid movement away from her, headed straight on course for France._

_He breathed an internal sigh of relief, and sincerely hoped that this would not be a reflection of their task ahead. He only hoped that the rest of their journey to France would run a lot smoother; he did not think his body could take that amount of stress every day. _

_It was only then that Hornblower remembered he was yet to finish his evening sleep. _

"_Wake me at six bells," he muttered to Bush, who was watching the crew cheering at the retreating frigate with a fond expression etched upon his face._

_He nodded. "Of course, Sir."_

"_And thank you. For your work this evening, William."_

_Bush merely touched his hat in response. _


	3. III

_Lieutenant Bush stared down at the map on the desk, carefully and mentally plotting and calculating __**Hotspur**__'s route to France. They had set a steady course across the channel since their encounter with the Spanish frigate, and were making good progress for France. If Bush's calculations were correct; and although he had never been as good as Hornblower at mathematics, he could usually guarantee that he would be correct; they would dock in Provence in a matter of days. _

_But it wasn't soon enough for Bush._

_The worry and fear for his sister, Alice, was that so great, that he struggled to allow his mind to think of anything else. Despite his initial reaction, he had tried to remain calm and collected, at least in front of others. Bush himself was not usually one to allow emotions to get in the way of his duty. He was known at sea for his expressionless face and composure. _

_But he was struggling to uphold such a reputation at present. The idea that his sister, his __**little**__ sister, was not safe was enough to determine that. All he wanted was for them to arrive in France, and for Alice to be safe and sound once more. _

_Bush crossed to his cot, and reached under the mattress where he kept a stack of letters in a box, mostly from his sister and mother. Most were merely skimmed through; Bush rarely had time to read them thoroughly, and besides, there was only so many times he could read "I am missing my darling son so much..." or "I am having a wonderful time travelling...cannot wait to see you again..." _

_But now Bush sat on his cot and thumbed through the letters more thoroughly. He still rushed hurriedly through the ones from his mother, but paused when he saw Alice's neat, inky print. _

_**Germany was wonderful, William. I only wish you could have seen it...am moving on now, though...my destination is unknown...I am perfectly safe...cannot wait to see you very soon...**_

_Bush read on further; he was searching for Alice's most recent letter. He located it. It was short, and Bush wasn't sure he had even read this one; he must have merely shoved it in the box when it arrived._

_**Dearest Brother, **_

_**You will never guess where I am William! I won't tell you here, I shall wait to tell you when I see you! But really, it is most exciting. I assure you I am still safe, however. I have met the most interesting and wonderful people here, I honestly do not think you will believe me when I tell you! I cannot write too much anymore, but will explain properly when I next see you. Oh William, I do hope our paths will cross again soon, do you know when you will next be able to take leave? **_

_**Missing you more each day, you darling sister, Alice x**_

_Bush finished the short letter. He internally hit himself for having not read this before. Of course, he was being ridiculous; there was no way he would have known what this had meant even if he had read this letter earlier. It was only now that he could see that the "most exciting" place was France, and that the "interesting and wonderful" people must be referring to the Earl and Countess of Banbridge. He knew he was being stupid, but Bush could not help feeling racked with guilt. He felt as if, if only he had paid more attention to Alice's letters, then this whole situation could have be avoided, and he would not be fearing for his sister's safety. _

_The door opened, interrupting Bush's feelings of guilt, and in came Archie, looking windswept and slightly put-out. Bush hastily replaced the letters, stuffing them back into the box, and stood up. _

"_You bring news, Archie?" he enquired. _

"_Only that of exasperation!" Archie sighed._

"_On whose behalf?"_

"_My own," said Archie, simply. He sank down into a chair. "It seems that the crew are a little less than happy to go along with the orders of Captain Hornblower."_

"_You mean-_

"_That they do not wish to travel in to France, where they know only danger will lie ahead of us." _

"_But we __**must**__ go to France," insisted Bush._

"_I know, I know," Archie sighed again. "But try telling a rowdy crew of men that! I swear to God, if it were up to me I would have had half of them flogged by now for shear rudeness! But you and me both know how Horatio feels about punishment."_

_Bush nodded. He knew his Captain would go to great measures to try and avoid a physical punishment for anybody. _

"_And how is young Baines fairing up?" asked Bush, remembering suddenly of the young Midshipman. _

_Archie had disappeared down deck on the evening that the Spanish frigate had been spotted to find Mr Baines quite indisposed, having become a quivering wreck in the corner. Hornblower had been right, Archie had thought, to suspect Baines of nervousness and panic, for at the slightest threat of attack, he had retreated into himself and refused to function. Nothing Archie said or did had been enough to rouse him, and Archie had been forced to leave him. So far, Archie had not mentioned this to Hornblower, as he was sure the Captain's hatred of punishment would not stretch as far as to cowardice. _

_The next day Baines had reported for duty, and no more had been said. _

"_He is much better." Archie told Bush. "I think, at least," he added "He has not mentioned the incident at all, and I do not feel it necessary to do so either."_

"_No," said Bush "No, quite right, Archie. I think that-"_

_A knock at the door interrupted him._

"_Come."_

_In came the another midshipman, Aston. _

"_Mr Hornblower's compliments, Sirs. But he has requested your presence on deck immediately. _

"_Yes." Said Bush "We'll come."_

_Up on deck, Hornblower had resumed his standard behaviour of pacing; up and down he went, nodding apparently to himself._

"_Ah," he said when Archie and Bush arrived "Good."_

"_Sir?"_

_Hornblower pointed out to sea._

"_Land, gentlemen. Land. If I am not mistaken, that is the south coast of France."_

"_You mean-_

"_We will arrived in France, I predict, tomorrow evening."_

_Bush looked from the expressionless face of his Captain, to the slightly shocked face of his comrade, and smiled. Smiled for what felt like the first time in weeks._

_Hornblower turned to Mr Prowse. "Keep her steady as she goes, Mr Prowse. We can only pray that the weather remains fine."_

"_Aye aye, Sir."_


	4. IV

_Commander Hornblower's prayers for fine weather to remain were, unfortunately unanswered. During the night, a storm had brewed around the __**Hotspur**__, bringing with it strong winds and heavy rain. The skies were black, and it was dark despite morning having broken several hours previously. _

"_Mr Bush," roared Hornblower over the wind "We'll shorten sail immediately, if you please."_

"_Aye aye, Sir. ALL HANDS!"_

_It was verging on ridiculous the way these highly-ranked men were shouting to one another over the howling winds, and still barely any sense could be made. It took Archie more than five attempts to call to Hornblower from the upper deck that he could spot land on the port side. _

"_Glass!" called Hornblower to Baines. "GLASS!" he repeated when Baines gave no sign of having heard him at all. _

_Placing the telescope to his eye, Hornblower could see that Archie was right. A thick and heavy fog was hanging around the horizon, but land could still be made out. If the wind hadn't entirely blown them off course, then Hornblower could be quite certain that it was France he could see. This was a small comfort to Hornblower, for at least he knew that his instructions would soon be completed. _

_His relief was short lived._

"_Sir! SIR!" _

_Hornblower turned._

"_We've torn a sail, Sir. Torn a sail up yonder!"_

"_We've WHAT?"_

"_TORN A SAIL, SIR!"_

_A torn sail? The wind must have gotten to it. Hornblower looked up to inspect the damage. The tear was not, in fact, too troublesome, but Hornblower was once again relieved to know that they would soon be at land, where new sails could be yarned. _

_But then-_

_**WHAM.**_

"_What the-?" exclaimed Hornblower. Just a few yards short of __**Hotspur**__, something has impacted against the water with a most incredible force. _

"_Mr Bush!" he called, as rain continued to pour heavily around him. "What is going on here?"_

"_It's the bloody frogs, Sir!" yelled Bush, forgetting himself slightly in the hysteria of the moment. Recovering himself somewhat, he continued "The French are shooting at us, Sir! They're using their land canons I should think, Sir. Whatever it is, it's bad news for us!"_

"_Mr Hornblower, SIR!" bellowed Mr Prowse from the wheel "I demand that we leave at once! We've no match for this!"_

"_NO!" insisted Hornblower "We must get to France and continue with our instructions. Mr Kennedy!" Archie appeared by Hornblower's side. "Call all hands to the deck, and clear for ACTION!"_

"_Aye aye Sir!"_

_But another shot had hit the water just a few yards short of the ship, and Hornblower was growing increasingly in agitation. Why were the French shooting at them? He had assumed that the Duke of Provence had arranged a __**safe**__ passage for his guests, not this._

"_Mr Prowse!" he called "Set her about! We must get as close as possible!"_

"_But Sir-_

"_I __**said**__, PUT HER ABOUT!"_

"_Sir!" came a bellow from the mizzen top. It was Midshipman Hope, an ironically-named pessimistic man with a large, red face._

_His next call was lost in a sudden roar of wind and splash as yet another shot closely missed the __**Hotspur. **_

"_WHAT?" Hornblower yelled back. But Bush had heard what Hope had said and was waving frantically from the lower deck. He was waving and pointing. Hornblower followed the direction of his gestures, and felt his stomach sink horribly. _

_There were sails appearing from the coast of France. _

_From the number he could see, it was not just one ship, but several. _

_Hornblower rushed down to Bush, unfolding his telescope as he did so. _

"_French colours." He informed Bush. "Damn."_

_Hornblower's mind was working fast; quickly calculating mathematically their chances._

"_Mr Bush," he decided "I will take party of men to land to collect our passengers."_

"_Sir I-_

"_Mr Bush, I want you to stay here and keep care of the ship. If we do not return by 6 bells then...well, you know the procedure."_

_Hornblower that Bush would much rather go with him, in order to personally see to the safe passage of his sister, but Hornblower needed his best man in charge of the __**Hotspur**__, especially seeing the dangers they were currently in._

"_Mr Prowse!"_

"_Sir?"_

"_Keep her about, if you please. And Mr Bush?"_

"_Sir?" _

"_Keep an eye on those French ships. Make sure all hands are ready for action. I'll be back within the hour."_

_Hornblower went to turn away, but found that something was stopping him. Not a physical something, but more an emotional longing not to leave. He breathed heavily to steady himself, before turning back and taking Bush's hand in his own and shaking it._

"_Good luck, Mr Bush."_

"_And to you, Sir."_

_Hornblower selected quickly and strategically his best men to take to land with him, not including Bush of course._

_Baines was there; Hornblower not having known about his wobble during the clearance for action a few days previously. Archie, of course, was there, his blue eyes flickering about restlessly in the jollyboat, looking anxiously for any sign of danger. With a slight hesitation, Hornblower had also selected Mr Hope and of course his loyal companions Styles and Matthews were there too._

"_Now, men," said Hornblower in a hushed voice as they rowed towards France, leaving __**Hotspur**__ behind "We're to perform this operation as quickly as possible, alright? I've word that the Duke of Provence will be waiting with his guests a little off shore. We shouldn't have too much trouble I shouldn't think, but then again I wasn't expecting to run into French ships either. Be prepared for action at all times, do I make myself clear?"_

_There was a murmuring of "Aye aye, Sir."_

_Shore was approaching now._

"_Right, now if we just-_

_Hornblower's words were cut off as a gunshot went off nearby. _

"_Ils sont l__à__!"_

_Hornblower heard excited French. _

"_Tirez pas!"_

"_Get DOWN!" shouted Hornblower as a patter of gunshots went all around them; Hornblower and his men, seeking refuge in the jolly boat._

"_What do we do, Horatio?" asked Archie, a hint of nerves in his normally steady voice._

"_We must carry on with our orders." Insisted Hornblower. "Come on men, NOW!"_

_At his final word, Hornblower and his small crew leapt from the jolly boat and splashed their way to the shore, dodging gun fire as they did so. Many pulled out their own pistols and attempted to shoot at their attackers. _

"_No!" said Hornblower "They are seeking cover behind those rocks; it is useless to try and shoot them! It's a waste of powder. Now COME!"_

_The darted quickly up the shore. Hornblower could see a small cave, where several figures seemed to be huddled from danger. He was pretty certain that these were the Earl and Countess of Banbridge, their daughter, and of course, Alice Bush. He could not be sure that they were not enemies, but by the looks of things, if they were, they would be outnumbered by Hornblower and his men._

"_This way!" gestured Hornblower. _

_BAM. A gunshot went off right in Hornblower's ear. He turned just in time to see the wild, bulging eyes of Mr Hope, before he keeled over backwards, blood seeping from his chest._

_Baines screamed loudly, before Archie pulled his hand over his mouth._

"_Keep your head or you will lose it!" he muttered "Hope is gone, there is no more we can do for him now."_

_Archie was right, and Hornblower knew it, but it didn't stop the sick feeling rising in his stomach. _

"_Come on, let's keep moving."_

_Baines was sobbing silently, physically shaking with fright or shock Hornblower did not know. _

_As they drew closer, Hornblower's assumptions about the figures in the cave were confirmed. He could see the large outline of a beefy man, surely the Earl of Banbridge. And a tall and bony woman with an elaborate hairstyle must surely be his wife. Two slightly smaller figures must surely be the daughter and Alice._

"_This way," hissed Hornblower at his crouched men, and then half jogged the last stretch to the cave. Once inside, Hornblower straightened up. He was quite sure that they would be safe here, at least for a short while, and thought that he ought to present himself in the way in which a captain ought to present one's self._

"_Captain Horatio Hornblower, of His Majesty's Sloop __**Hotspur.**__ At your service."_

_He glanced around at the huddled figures, who were all rather pale with fright or cold, Hornblower could not tell. The storm was still not giving up outside._

_Looking towards the two young ladies, Hornblower sought out Alice Bush immediately from the two. He recognised Bush's blue eyes in her pale face, though when he found them in his first lieutenant, they brought warmth and friendship, in Alice Bush's face, they showed beauty and delicacy. Her hair, too, Hornblower noticed, was Bush's soft brown curls, though once again Hornblower found himself thinking that he never thought of Bush's hair as being beautiful. _

_The other girl, the slightly shorter of the two, had thick blonde hair that framed a rather rosy face. Looking towards the Earl and Countess, Hornblower thought that this girl was the exact blend of both of her parents._

"_Captain Hornblower," said the Earl, obvious relief in his voice "I am so glad you are here. We have been waiting a long time, and it has been very unpleasant."_

"_Of course, of course," said Hornblower, understandingly "But, where is the Duke of Provence? I understood he would be here."_

"_He was called away," explained the Earl "May I introduce myself? Richard Conway, Earl of Banbridge. And this is my good wife, Margaret, and our darling daughter Edith. And this is Alice Bush, I believe you are acquainted with her brother?"_

"_It is a pleasure to meet you all," said Hornblower "Yes," he turned to Alice "Your brother William has been serving with me for a number of years. A fine lieutenant. He is onboard __**Hotspur**__ at this very minute."_

"_You mean..." started Alice, her eyes going slightly wide "That __**my**__ brother is on the ship in which we are to return to? That I will soon be with him?" There was a slight longing in her voice, and Hornblower smiled._

"_Yes," he said "You and your brother will be reunited soon enough."_

_Hornblower was suddenly very aware of the other men in the cave. He quickly turned to them._

"_Archie Kennedy, second lieutenant..." he said, briefly introducing the other members of his party to the Earl and Countess, right down to "...and this is Styles, Bosun's Mate."_

"_I must say, Captain Hornblower," said Lady Margaret "That I am not quite sure I feel safe in the hands of this..." she gestured at the men "...fine crew." She finished, cynically. _

_Hornblower turned to scrutinise his men once more. Yes, perhaps they were looking a little bedraggled, but that didn't stop the annoyance and anger rising inside him as he turned back to the Countess._

"_I assure you, Madam, that you are in the capable hands of the best men that His Majesty's Ship can give you."_

_Lady Margaret raised her fine eyebrows at her husband, who seemed slightly ruffled._

"_Now, now," he said "Mr Hornblower, why not let us get away now? We've been waiting a long time, you know."_

"_Yes, yes," said Hornblower, hurriedly "Yes, let's go." _

_Hornblower placed his men in a group around the guests, making sure that they were as protected as possible. _

_There was a scatter of gunfire as they left the cave, but in the howling wind and rain, it was difficult to tell exactly where it was coming from, or where it was aiming for. Hornblower could feel dread rising in him as they made progress down the beach. How could their operation have become such a disaster? __**Hotspur**__ marked with canons from both sides, his own party's lives in danger, not to mention the fact that his own party included some very, very important people. _

"_Horatio!" hissed Archie "We are surrounded I'm sure!"_

_Hornblower knew that Archie was right. He knew that he had failed miserably, but he couldn't stop his brain from calculating a way out of this mess. Though, even Hornblower's mathematical brain could only come up with one solution for their current situation. Run. _

"_RUN!" he shouted to his men, all hope of composure lost. "GET TO THE JOLLY BOAT!"_

_Hornblower sprinted down the beach, checking back to make sure that everyone was following. He could just see that Styles was bringing up the rear, just behind the Duke._

_They were nearly there. He was so close. And then-_

_A high pitched scream cut into Hornblower like a knife. Whipping around, he saw Styles, still at the back, but this time he collapsed under the weight of the fallen Duke of Banbridge, whose wife's scream as she saw her husband's death had been the one that had cut into Hornblower. _


	5. V

"_**Run? **__Seven years in His Majesty's Navy, and the only plan you are able to come up with is __**run?**__"_

_It was noon, and Captain Sir Edward Pellew had come aboard the __**Hotspur **__to criticise one of his finest men._

_Hornblower was not one to usually cower under the scrutiny of Captain Pellew, however this time he couldn't help his voice shake a little as he answered._

"_W-well, you see S-Sir, I couldn't d-do anything. You s-see I was-_

"_You were perfectly capable of commanding this operation, Hornblower! I don't understand how things could have gone so wrong."_

"_Well, n-neither do I, Sir. The th-thing is that-_

"_Hornblower. You __**ran**__**away**__ while the French were shooting at you! What kind of a man __**runs away **__while the enemy is shooting?"_

"_I wasn't running away," said Hornblower, his voice a little stronger as he became slightly more irritable "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, Sir. I wanted to ensure that my men got back safely and-_

"_Yes, Hornblower, because your actions have clearly shown that. The Earl of Banbridge; dead. Midshipman Hope; dead. Over twenty men on board __**Hotspur**__ are injured, with three dead. Was this the safety of your men you had in mind when you commanded to run away?"_

"_N-no, Sir," said Hornblower, becoming meek again. "Not at all. I made a-a __**terrible**__ mistake, Sir, and no one, __**no one**__, regrets more than I-_

"_**REGRETS? **__Hornblower, one of the most important men In Britain has died __**on your watch.**__ You have __**failed!**__"_

_Hornblower could not meet Captain Pellew's eyes at his final word, for this was exactly how Hornblower had felt since they returned to the __**Hotspur**__ after the disastrous mission. It had taken a great deal of coaxing, mostly on Archie and Alice Bush's behalf, to get Lady Margaret and Lady Edith Conway to leave the dead figure of their respective husband and father. All the while the French had continued to shoot. Hornblower could see now it was a wonder that so many of their party had got away safely. _

_Upon return to the __**Hotspur**__, Bush and Alice were obviously overjoyed to see each other, even if their joy was marred slightly by Richard Conway's death, and Hornblower's immediate shouting of orders to Bush. _

_Ladies Margaret and Edith had continued to be highly distressed concerning Richard's death, and refused to allow any condolence on Hornblower's part. They had had sat crying in their cabin for the remainder of the day. Not even Alice, whom they had been friends with, could do anything for them, though not for want of trying._

_So Hornblower knew that he had failed miserably, but it still stung to hear Captain Pellew's scorning voice uttering those words._

_Captain Pellew's steward, Graine, had been also present, having come aboard with Captain Pellew; and was standing nervously in a corner._

"_Graine!" barked Pellew "Pass word for Mr Bush, if you please."_

_Graine nodded and scuttled from the cabin, leaving Hornblower alone with his master._

"_Bad business, Hornblower, bad business."_

_Hornblower did not really know what to say to this, so said nothing; continuing to stare at the wall just past Captain Pellew's head._

"_The Earl of Banbridge dead, many fine men injured..."_

_Pellew seemed to be talking more to himself than to anyone else, Hornblower now realised._

_There was a knock at the door, and after a curt "Enter," from Pellew, Graine returned. He was accompanied now by Bush, who was looking windswept and slightly harassed. _

"_Ah, Lieutenant Bush. Good, good," said Captain Pellew "I expect you know what this is about, man."_

_With the slightest flicker of eyes to Hornblower, Bush nodded. _

"_Good," said Pellew, again "Now," he turned to Hornblower "It is with my deepest regret, Hornblower, that I must ask you to __**stand down**__ from this command. Mr Bush here will take command of the __**Hotspur**__ for the time being until further investigation into this-this __**mess.**__"_

_He narrowed his eyes at Hornblower, who could feel himself shaking ever so slightly. He had __**lost his command.**__ After everything that had happened, and he had had his first command taken away from him. He was distraught._

"_**Captain**__ Bush," said Pellew, carefully to a very surprised and slightly shocked looking Bush "I ask you to give __**Hotspur**__ a safe passage into Gibraltar. There you will fill up on supplies and make any repairs, if you would. Then proceed to Plymouth to deposit the..." he looked at Hornblower "__**remainder**__ of our guests, if you please."_

_With the ever so slightest hesitation, Bush nodded. "Aye aye, Sir." _

_Captain Pellew gave one last sweep of the cabin, before leaving, gesturing to Graine as he went. _

_There was a few seconds of tense silence between the two young men before-_

"_I guess I shall move my things out of here immediately," said Hornblower, flatly._

"_No, please, Sir-_

"_Don't. Call. Me. Sir." Hornblower said through gritted teeth. "__**You**__ are Captain of __**Hotspur**__ now."_

_Hornblower could not help the resent in his voice, despite the fact it was entirely his own fault he had lost command, and in theory he should be pleased that such a close friend should be able to take over._

_There was a knock at the door. Hornblower looked at the door, and then at Bush, expectantly._

"_Oh," said Bush, remembering his status now "Come," he said._

_In came Baines. "Sir," he started._

"_Yes?" replied Hornblower and Bush at the same time. _

_Hornblower checked himself. "Forgive me," he said to Bush, almost graciously._

"_Captain Bush, Sir," Hornblower tried not to think of how ridiculous the name "Captain Bush" sounded, horrified at his own spite._

"_Captain Bush," went on Baines "Man coming aboard, Sir. Sent from Captain Sir Pellew of the __**Indefatigable.**__"_

"_Really?" said Bush "I mean, yes, yes. Of course, I'll come."_

_Baines nodded before exiting the cabin. _

"_I can't do this." Said Bush, almost to himself as opposed to Hornblower. "I can't command a ship." This time Bush definitely shared a glance to his former Captain._

_Hornblower felt himself internally agreeing with Bush, until he realised his spiteful, jealous self was coming back again. He checked himself once more._

"_Mr Bush," he said, and then added "__**Sir**__. You are one of His Majesty's Navy's finest men. Not many men, even ranked as a first lieutenant could have commanded __**Hotspur**__ in the way you did yesterday. And," Hornblower felt his voice falter a bit, but when he next spoke he made sure it was quite steady "And if __**I**__ cannot take command of this ship, then I am glad that it is to be you."_

_This was only partly untrue, and Hornblower was glad he had said those words when Bush's face broke into a rare smile._

"_Thank you, Sir. I mean," he added after Hornblower gave him a dark look "Mr Hornblower."_


	6. VI

_Up on deck, Acting Captain William Bush strode over to the side, where the whistles of the boatswain indicated that somebody was coming aboard. _

_The man who came over the side was dark haired and fairly stout. Bush noticed the shining buttons of his coat did not quite reach over his chest. He touched his hat ever so slightly to Bush before introducing himself in a voice that did not conceal snobbery one bit._

"_Tregorren. First Lieutenant. Captain Pellew has sent me from the __**Indefatigable**__ in order to sort out this, this __**mess.**__" He indicated the slightly straggly crew of the __**Hotspur.**_

_Bush, slightly put out though not much (he was used to criticism from months serving under Hornblower), nodded to Tregorren._

"_William Bush, First Lieut-err, Captain."_

_They shook hands, stiffly. _

"_This is; Mr Hornblower," said Bush, indicating Hornblower who stood awkwardly beside them. _

"_Ah!" exclaimed Tregorren "So this is the man that we are to blame, eh?"_

_Hornblower ignored this comment and turned slightly away. _

"_Perhaps I could show you to your cabin?" said Bush, feeling his friend's awkwardness._

"_Yes," said Tregorren, sniffing "Send my steward along shortly, will you?"_

_He trotted away._

"_Do first lieutenants normally require a steward?" muttered Bush to Hornblower._

"_Not that I was aware, Sir," said Hornblower, and they both stared slightly bemused at the retreating figure of Lieutenant Tregorren. _

_- -X-X-X-_

_Hornblower was depressed. There was no other word for it. He was sprawled on a hard cot in a cramped cabin that was occupied by three other men. With his cabin now belonging to Bush, and Lieutenant Tregorren demanding a cabin all to himself, Hornblower was having to bed-down with Archie and the fourth lieutenant; Mr Eden, a grey haired man who barely said anything at all ever. _

_It was not just this loss of luxuries that contributed to Hornblower's low mood. It was his whole situation of having lost his first proper command, not to mention his immense guilt regarding the death of Richard Conway. Lady Margaret had passed him on deck earlier, and had made it quite clear that she was not satisfied that demotion was an ample punishment for him. _

_Hornblower also felt particularly horrible, because he could not even bring himself to be please for Bush, a man he called his friend. Hornblower knew that, had it been the other way around, then Bush would be full of praise for Hornblower, and knew that he would get his full support. But jealousy and anger and regret were keeping Hornblower from giving the same in return. _

_He felt the lurch of the ship beneath him; a reminder that he should be up on deck. But he had been down here avoiding everyone for as long as he thought was possible. But he guessed it was time he made an appearance. He cruelly thought of Bush up there along with Tregorren, before stopping himself. He should support Bush. He __**must**__ think that way._

_There was an almost calming breeze present up on deck; the storm having blown mostly away, though there was still a thick cloud present. Hornblower walked to the edge, peering down into the white, foamy sea, and contemplating his present feelings had his plan actually worked out right._

_He was just wishing he'd appreciated being Captain of the __**Hotspur**__ when he'd had his chance, when he heard someone approaching. Turning, he saw it was Alice Bush, whom he had barely seen since the disaster the previous day. _

"_Good afternoon, Captain," she said._

_The immediate anger Hornblower felt at being reminded of his misfortunes by being called "Captain" melted away with one look at Alice's face._

"_There is no need to refer to me as 'Captain', Miss Bush," he said, sighing "I am a mere Lieutenant, now."_

"_You mean-but why? Surely not because of the tragedy of Richard Conway?"_

_Hornblower nodded._

"_But that is hardly __**your**__ fault," said Alice._

_Hornblower turned back to the sea, becoming increasingly interested in the waves. "Try telling that to anyone else," he muttered._

"_But then..." said Alice, slowly, joining Hornblower in scrutinising the water "Who is Captain now?"_

"_Bush." Said Hornblower, dully. Then, remembering suddenly who he was talking to, said hurriedly "I mean, your brother. He has been given command of __**Hotspur**__."_

"_William? In command of a ship?" a smile played on her lips. "Well," she said "I am pleased for him."_

_Hornblower sighed again. "Me too," he said, unconvincingly. _

_Alice raised her eyebrows to him, and Hornblower felt himself falter slightly under her gaze._

"_You know," she said "William was so grateful to be able to serve with you, Mr Hornblower. The only letter I ever received that looked remotely different to the admiral reports he usually sends me, was when you offered him the position of first lieutenant on board __**Hotspur**__. I've never heard him sound so excited."_

"_Well..." faltered Hornblower, feeling a sudden rush of affection for his former first lieutenant. _

_At this present moment, the subject of his affection appeared suddenly. _

"_Sails have been spotted on the starboard quarter, Sir-I mean, Mr Hornblower. Sorry, old habits die hard." He gave a weak smile to which Hornblower, having grown incredibly fond of Bush in the past two minutes readily returned._

"_We are going to clear for action," said Bush "She is a French frigate, and we are not taking any chances."_

_Hornblower touched his hat. "Aye aye, Sir." He could tell that this would take some getting used to. _

_Bush suddenly noticed that he and Hornblower were not the only ones present. Alice had been trying to conceal herself rather unsuccessfully behind Hornblower._

"_Alice!" said Bush "What the devil are you doing up here? This is a ship of war, not some cruise! You cannot just wander about the deck this way. We are __**clearing for action.**__"_

_These words, though stirred a look of tense panic in Bush's face, did nothing to stir emotion in his younger sister._

"_But you've left me down there with Edith and Margaret for __**ages!**__" she insisted. "And both are angry and upset. And that's never a good combination. No, I won't stay down there a moment longer."_

_Hornblower could see the agitation pass across his friend's face. He, Hornblower, had no brothers or sisters to quarrel with, but he sensed from the mood that this was no rare occurrence. Hornblower remembered, fondly, of Bush's worry for his sister when he had found out she was in France, and then looked to the expression he was giving the same sister at present. _

"_SIR!" came a yell from further up deck. Hornblower checked himself just in time not to reply. _

"_I'M COMING!" Bush yelled back, not taking his eyes off his defiant sister. _

"_Alice," he said, a slight sense of pleading in his voice, along with authority "Go and wait in the captain's cabin. I mean, in my cabin. If you please."_

_Alice rolled her eyes, first to herself, and then to Hornblower, before reluctantly agreeing._

"_Fine," she said turning away to leave "But remember what happened last time!"_

_As Hornblower and Bush ascended the stairs to the top deck, Hornblower asked "What happened last time?"_

"_When Alice and I were seeking a safe passage back on a fighting vessel from Jamaica a few years back, during battle they ran out of room in the midshipmen's berth for surgery. I had told Alice to wait in the captain's cabin, but of course the surgeon went there as an emergency surgery. She said she'd never seen so much blood and so many loose limbs."_

_Hornblower's weak stomach squirmed despite experience of such gruesomeness. _

"_Now," said Bush "Let's show these Frenchmen what His Majesty's Navy can do! CLEAR FOR ACTION! ALL HANDS READY!"_


	7. VII

_A rapidly retreating French frigate was the satisfaction for Acting Captain Bush that his first attack had been a success. At first that Bush had had that feeling that is always present before an event which may or may not go the way you want it to go. Nerves had understandably hit him, and he internally cursed the decision by Captain Pellew to make him Captain. However, as the minor battle progressed, and Bush could see that the __**Hotspur**__'s guns easily outweighed it's rival, he began to relax slightly, and almost enjoyed the feeling of being in control._

_His enjoyment, however, was short-lived. A look at Hornblower's face was enough to evaporate all feelings of joy. Bush felt extremely bad for his former captain and friend. His first command; taken from him. And not even over a matter that Bush considered to even be Hornblower's fault. Not entirely anyway. And it was he, Bush, who had taken over Hornblower's position. Granted, it was a decision made by Captain Pellew, and it was by no means Bush's fault, but this did not stop him feeling guilty as he caught sight of Hornblower's sombre face. _

_He guessed his friend was feeling melancholy due to a lack of command over their actions. Bush had tried to include Hornblower as much as possible, but as he was lower ranked than many, this had been difficult. It had been made worse by Lieutenant Tregorren strutting about the place, barking orders to God-knows-who. Tregorren seemed to have taken it upon himself to personally turn the entire __**Hotspur**__ crew into a neat, primed and sufficiently working navy. He also made it very difficult for Bush to give Hornblower any sort of duty at all, as kept sending him on ridiculous errands that could most definitely have waited until after they had completed batted. _

"_Mr Hornblower!" Bush called to Hornblower, who made his way over, evidently trying, yet failing, to re-arrange his features. _

"_Yes, Sir?" he asked, touching his hat. This notion was starting to feel slightly more standard now, though still unusual. _

"_I trust that that was not the most exciting battle in which you have ever fought at sea?"_

_Hornblower eyed Bush suspiciously "No," he said "I cannot say that fetching Lieutenant Tregorren's hat from his cabin ranks too highly on my list of greatest actions while at sea." He smiled dryly. _

"_I thought as much," said Bush "How would you like to join me for dinner this evening?"_

"_I-what?" asked Hornblower, surprised at his friend's dramatic switch in conversation topic. _

"_Dinner. Tonight. I'm having Alice and the Conway's come up to my cabin. Lieutenants Tregorren and Kennedy will be there too, I am sure. I would be grateful if you would come, Sir."_

_Hornblower was touched at Bush's kindness, and even forgot to be annoyed that Bush had called him 'Sir'. _

"_It would be an honour, Mr Bush. Sir."_

_XXX_

_In his haste to accept Bush's offer, Hornblower had not really thought about the fact that he would soon be dining with Lady Margaret, who hated him, Lady Edith, who he was pretty certain hated him, and Lieutenant Tregorren, who would no doubt continue to scorn at Hornblower for the remainder of the evening. _

_Hornblower's only comfort as he crossed to Bush's cabin that evening, was that he knew he could at least hold a conversation with Alice Bush, having proved that earlier in the day. And Archie would be there, along with Bush. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, he thought as he knocked on the door and entered Bush's cabin, perhaps-_

"_Ah, Mr Hornblower. We'd begun to think you'd __**run away**__!" _

_Then again, perhaps not._

_There was a roar of laughter from Lieutenant Tregorren at his own joke, and he clutched at his goblet, despite the fact it already looked as though he had drunk more than his worth. Ladies Margaret and Edith, sat either side of Tregorren chortled respectively. _

_Abashed, and slightly angry, Hornblower ignored the comment, came properly into the room, and took the remaining seat beside Archie, and opposite Alice. _

"_Horatio," said Bush "I'm glad you've come,"_

"_Yes!" said Tregorren, loudly "Before you arrived, this party was definitely missing a stu-_

"_Yes, __**thank you**__, Mr Tregorren," said Bush, trying to convey apology in the quick glance he shot at Hornblower._

_Dinner was served, and the table settled itself slightly as everyone ate in appreciation of the good food cooked by the steward, Doughty. Hornblower was enjoying his meal so much, he even forgot to feel sad when Doughty served Bush first, as Captain's perks. _

_Doughty kept insisting on re-filling their wine glasses, though Hornblower personally thought this was not a good idea for anyone. As a light drinker himself, Hornblower could already feel the warmth of the wine after his first glass full. As for Tregorren, it was impossible to get a sensible word out of him. _

"_So Miss Bush," he slurred, half way through the first course "You must be proud to be the sister of a captain, are you not?"_

_There was a pause in the chinking of knives and forks as everyone looked expectantly to Alice. Hornblower felt his stomach knot slightly. He wasn't much sure he would like a conversation regarding Bush's new position. It made him feel uncomfortable. _

"_I have always been proud of my brother, Mr Tregorren," said Alice, carefully "Whatever his position may be."_

_Why did it bring Hornblower so much comfort that Alice had not completely agreed with Mr Tregorren that she was proud that her brother was captain now?_

"_I must say, Alice, dear," said Lady Margaret, draining another glass of wine "That I feel so __**safe**__ in the hands of such-such an __**admiral**__ captain. A toast," she held her glass up again, hiccupping slightly, where it was readily re-filled by Doughty "To Captain Bush, of the __**Hotspur**__!"_

_Hornblower's eyes flickered round the dinner table as people put their glasses in the air in various levels of enthusiasm. Lady Margaret and Mr Tregorren readily pushes their glasses up, slopping a considerable amount of wine everywhere as they did so; Lady Edith followed her mother's lead, looking around haughtily at everyone; Bush himself, looking slightly awkward and embarrassed; Archie, eyebrows marginally raised and looking as though he were not quite sure what to do; and Alice, who, to Hornblower's surprise, met his gaze. _

_She shot him a small smile, and then...Was Hornblower imagining things now? She lifted her glass, and tilted it ever so slightly towards Hornblower._

_During the dessert course, the hilarity in the room had increased. Mr Tregorren and Lady Margaret were laughing hysterically at their end of the table, while Archie and Alice attempted to have a conversation regarding Alice's recent travels over their cahoots. _

_This left Bush and Hornblower to make slightly awkward chit chat with one another. Hornblower was not quite sure why their conversation had this awkward feel to it. He supposed it was because there was the over-hanging tension of Hornblower's loss and Bush's gain. _

"_So..." said Hornblower "We...sail for Gibraltar?"_

"_Yes," said Bush "Yes, that's right. We must collect supplies there. And there's the sail to mend, of course."_

"_Ah," said Hornblower "Yes." The torn sail seemed like a lifetime ago, back when he was captain..._

"_Spain!" Alice was practically yelling to Archie over Tregorren's laughter "Now __**there's**__ somewhere I'd like to go. But sadly, with war now declared, I fear it may be a while before I am able to do so!"_

"_Yes," agreed Archie "The dons are not ones to be forgiving during a war. We'd know all about that, eh Horatio?"_

"_I-what?" said Hornblower, thoughts of his former captain-ship interrupted. "Yes, yes. Not at all." _

"_Horatio here was lucky enough to become acquainted with Katherine Cobham. Oh, now there's a story to tell!" said Archie, looking towards Hornblower, almost admiringly. _

"_Katherine Cobham?" said Alice, looking with interest now between Archie and Hornblower "Not the actress?"_

"_The very same," said Archie._

"_Come now, Archie," said Hornblower "You are exaggerating as usual. I met her; that is all. As did you, and all the other men who were at the prison."_

"_Yes," said Archie "But the so called 'Duchess of Wharfedale' did not request the presence of me nor the any of the other men to accompany her on her morning walks, did she?"_

_Hornblower shot Archie a dark look. He was not sure why he did not like bringing this up, but he didn't, and was quite certain he wished to end the evening there. He had had quite enough, suddenly, of everyone's company, and wanted to be left quite alone._

"_William," he turned to Bush "Mr Bush, Sir. I will see you in the morrow. Thank you for inviting me, but I believe that that is enough for this evening."_

"_Yes," said Bush, as Mr Tregorren literally toppled from his chair, knocking his glass to the floor "Yes, I quite agree with you." _


	8. VIII

_Alice Bush observed, out of the small window of her cabin, the white, foamy waves of the choppy sea, and felt it's similarly choppy lurch beneath the ship. With every lurch, a loud came from the nearby cot. Alice looked to where Lady Margaret was occupying the cot and recovering badly from her affair with wine the previous night. Though it was nearly noon, she had not yet risen from her bed, and claimed the choppiness of the sea was only making things worse. Alice turned her attention back to the window, agreeing that the bumpiness of the waves was worse today than it had been previously. _

_She sighed, feeling, there was no other word for it, bored. In this cabin, she thought, she might as well be alone. Lady Margaret moaning and groaning in the cot, and Edith writing a letter to goodness-knows-who. She always seemed to be writing letters, and was constantly vague whenever Alice inquired as to the receiver of the letters. _

_When the scratching of Edith's quill and Lady Margaret's groans got just too much for Alice, she rose from her chair, insisting that she needed some air. She knew that her brother would rather she remained here, but there seemed to be no danger at present, and besides, there was someone that Alice was hoping to see up-deck. _

_Alice Bush had been pondering over former-captain Horatio Hornblower since her conversation with Archie the previous evening. So, the great Mr Hornblower had met with Katherine Cobham. Alice had seen her in a production of Romeo and Juliet in London. Of course, she thought her acting skills were remarkable, though she had stirred no particular emotion within Alice. Now, however, there was a feeling, almost of annoyance, in her when she thought of the __**wonderful**__ Katherine Cobham. _

"_Afternoon, Miss," a seaman tipped his hat to Alice as she made her way up from the cabin to the top deck. She smiled back at him. _

_Up on deck, the jolting sea was even more noticeable, and Alice noted a less-stoic man heaving over the side, relieving his feeling of nausea. It took Alice two, maybe three, moments to realise the identity of the man._

_She strolled over to him._

"_Good afternoon, Mr Hornblower," she said, in his ear._

_Hornblower, startled, jumped up from his leaned-over position, hastily regaining composure. _

"_Ah," he said "Miss Bush. Good morning-I mean, yes. Good afternoon."_

"_The sea," Alice indicated the waves "It is a little choppy today, is it not?"_

_The boat gave another jolt, and Hornblower grasped the side. "A little," he said. _

"_Hmm," Hornblower cleared his throat "I trust you have recovered from last night?"_

"_Of course, Sir," said Alice "I trust you haven't?" she indicated briefly the place in which Hornblower's breakfast had just been deposited. _

"_I-yes, yes. That's right. A little too much wine, perhaps."_

_Hornblower had drunk barely two glasses of wine the night before, and both he and Alice knew this, however maybe sickness from drink was seen as less of a weakness than seasickness. _

_There was a pause, where Bush's yells from the wheel could be heard. _

"_Keep her steady as she goes, Mr Prowse!"_

"_She's riding a little heavily, Sir!"_

"_Steady, Mr Prowse, steady!" _

_Alice smiled, more to herself than to Hornblower. "It's strange," she said "To think of William in command of a ship as fine as this one. I remember when he used to curl up inside a pig trough and pretend that he had been ship wrecked!" She smiled, fondly. _

_Hornblower couldn't help but grin at the thought of his former first lieutenant in his younger years. It was so strange to think of Bush as being anyone other than the harsh yet loyal man he currently was. Difficult to believe that a young Bush had once run about, dreaming of a life as a captain at sea._

_Well, thought Hornblower, Bush was finally living his dream. _

"_You know," continued Alice "William always insisted that I played the part of a damsel in distress. We would go down to a small stream near our family home, whereupon I would pretend to be drowning, and William would save me. Of course," she added "William could never swim a stroke at all, and-_

_She was cut off at this point, as the infamous non-swimmer himself appeared next to Hornblower, looking stern. _

"_Alice," he said "Would you __**please**__ remain in your cabin?"_

"_Why? Is something happening?"_

"_No, however I-_

_At that moment, Styles appeared, bowing slightly to Bush, Hornblower and to Alice._

"_Captain Bush, Sir. Mr Prowse's compliments, but 'e'd like permission to shorten sail."_

_Bush looked up at the sky. "Alright," he said "Tell Mr Prowse that is fine."_

_Bush turned away. Styles, however continued to remain stood there, staring, quite transfixed, at Alice. _

"_Styles!" said Bush "On with your work!"_

"_Oh yes," said Styles, coming to himself. "Aye aye, Sir."_

"_Styles," muttered Hornblower "Pull yourself together. It is not as if you have never seen a woman before."_

"_Not in six months I 'aven't, Sir."_

"_Well, it would do good of you to remember that this particular young lady happens to also be your Captain's sister."_

"_Aye aye, Sir."_

_Styles, slightly reluctantly, headed back up deck to where Mr Prowse was bearing down on the master's mate. _

_Alice Bush, acting as though nothing at all had happened, smiled sweetly at her brother and Hornblower._

"_Very well," she said "I will retire to my cabin. And when you find me this evening, having died of boredom, then, William, you will be happy."_

_With that, she vanished below decks in a swirl of curly hair and cotton. _

_It was after a few seconds that Hornblower realised that his eyebrows had been in an upright position for a considerably long time. He hastily re-arranged his features._

"_Ha-h'm," he said, awkwardly "Your sister. She's quite the, um, caution, isn't she?"_

_Bush sighed. "One of these days," he said "She'll get herself in serious trouble."_

"_Oh," said Hornblower "I'm sure she can look after herself,"_

"_Are you suggesting that you know more about my sister than I do?" snapped Bush, suddenly._

"_N-No, I-_

_Hornblower stammered, shocked by his friends suddenness. Bush, realising it too, held up a hand._

"_My apologies," he said "I meant nothing of it. It's just...this Captain business. It's harder than I thought it would be. And having Alice here just makes me on edge. I don't want anything to happen to her, you know? Family life and work; two worlds that should never collide."_

_Hornblower said nothing, feeling his Captain was talking more to himself than to anybody else._

"_You make commanding a ship look easy, Horatio," said Bush, suddenly, looking into his former Captain's eyes. _

_Hornblower pondered briefly over being called anything other than "Sir," by Bush, and realised, strangely, how he quite liked being referred to as "Horatio" by his loyal friend. _

"_Come, William," said Hornblower, jovially "Sir," he added, quickly. "You are too hard on yourself. You are doing a wonderful job of looking after __**Hotspur.**__ Surely you can see that. And, as for Alice," he paused "Well, I'm sure we can look after her."_

_And, with that, Hornblower strode off in the direction of the gun decks, before he thought Bush would have time to think properly over what he had just said. _


	9. IX

_The decks on the __**Hotspur**__ continued to lurch about; the winds fairing strong and the waves choppy. Horatio Hornblower attempted to resume his standard habit of pacing up the down the decks, but his progress was continually marred by the unevenness of the deck, and he kept stooping with every jolt. Giving up, he went up to the wheel to join his Captain. _

_Hornblower touched his hat to Bush, and was surprised to find this motion coming naturally to him now. Lieutenant Tregorren was there too, looking slightly worse for wear following the previous evening's events. _

"_Ah, Mr Hornblower," said Tregorren "I'm glad you've arrived. We were just talking about you,"_

"_You-you were?" said Hornblower, in surprise. Behind Tregorren's head, Bush looked just as surprised as Hornblower felt. _

"_Yes," said Tregorren, looking pointedly at Bush "We were."_

_Hornblower internally rolled his eyes. "Go on," he said to Tregorren, inevitable ominous thoughts already running through his mind._

"_Do you not think, Mr Hornblower," went on Tregorren "That it is strange that the French happened to have set up their forces at the exact time of your rendezvous arranged with the Duke of Provence?"_

_Hornblower felt slightly hot at the mention of his disaster in France, yet attempted to face Tregorren with dignity._

"_Why, yes, Sir. It is strange. However, I do not think it more than the mere fact that the French were well prepared and-_

"_Then you do not think, Mr Hornblower," cut in Tregorren "That perhaps there was more to it than that? Maybe," he went on swiftly "an __**accomplice**__ within this operation?"_

"_That is a very serious accusation, __**Sir**__," said Hornblower, shocked at the first lieutenant's boldness. _

"_Nevertheless," said Tregorren "You cannot deny, Mr Hornblower, that the French were very lucky that day? That they just __**happened**__ to have their forces set up at the right time?"_

"_I-well, I guess-_

"_You may stutter, Mr Hornblower, but don't think I can't see you for what you really are. I think that-_

"_Mr Tregorren!" snapped Bush "Enough of this. On with your duties. Now!"_

"_Of course," said Tregorren, silkily "Whatever you say, __**Captain**__."_

_Hornblower stared at the retreating figure of Tregorren, feeling confused and angry. _

_-X-X-X-_

_Hornblower flung himself down on his cot, cursing the presence of other men in the room. He wanted nothing other than to be alone; to think thoroughly over what Tregorren had said. But, unfortunately, when one is not Captain anymore, the privilege of being alone was not present. _

_Archie and Mr Eden were playing cards together. Some loud, unintelligent game involving a lot of banging of the table and shouting. _

"_Care for a hand, Horatio?" asked Archie, holding out the pack. _

_Hornblower, fearing he might curse at his friend for his sheer cheerfulness at such a time, merely shook his head, lips tight. As he turned, he could see Archie shrug his shoulders at Mr Eden, and Hornblower felt himself redden slightly at the thought that others should find his behaviour strange. _

_Lying down on the cot, he stared up at the low, wooden ceiling, and allowed his mind to become utterly occupied with Mr Tregorren's words. Did Tregorren actually think that he, Hornblower, had had anything to do with a betrayal? The idea was absurd, and yet..._

_There was some truth in what Tregorren had said. It __**had**__ been strange how things could have gone __**so**__ wrong. It __**was**__ unusual for the French to have a troop set up all ready for them when they arrived. But the idea of the French knowing about their plan was nearly as ridiculous as the idea that he himself had betrayed. _

_The only people who had known about their "rendezvous" as Tregorren had referred to it as, was himself, his lieutenants, the Duke of Provence, the Conway's, and Alice Bush. None of whom, he supposed, would have done anything to try and sabotage the operation. _

_Hornblower sighed, and turned over to face the wall. The ship beneath him was lurching about again, and waves of nausea were making him feel sleepy, and stupid. _

_But, wait. Hornblower remembered something. He had not actually ever met the Duke of Provence at all. Richard Conway had said he had had to leave them there...but why? Maybe they were betrayed that day, maybe the __**Duke**__ was the one responsible, maybe-_

"_Horatio?" _

_Hornblower realised that he had sat bolt upright in his cot, his eyes wide in realisation. _

_He knew that Archie and Mr Hope must now have concluded him madder than ever, but Hornblower had no time for idle conversation. He flung himself from the cot, and strode from the berth without so much as a murmur of what he was up to._

_He was going to find out more about this Duke of Provence. _

_Crossing over to Bush's former quarters, he knocked twice on the cabin door. There was a groan from within, and Hornblower heard the scraping of a stool. The door opened;_

"_Oh, Mr Hornblower! I-what a-well-_

"_Ah, Miss Bush," said Hornblower, ignoring Alice Bush's stuttered greetings, and pushing past her into the room "I hope I'm not disturbing you. But there are some questions I must ask and...oh."_

_Once properly in the room, Hornblower realised that they were not the only ones present. In his haste, he had forgotten about Ladies Margaret and Edith also being there. He wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. Bad, surely, as both seemed to have taken a strong dislike to him. And yet...they would surely know of the Duke of Provence as well, so perhaps it was not so bad after all. _

"_Lady Margaret, Lady Edith." Hornblower bowed to the other two guests, greeting them. The both nodded to him with well-concealed dislike._

"_Mr Hornblower," said Lady Margaret "And what do we owe the pleasure of your presence this afternoon?"_

_Her tone was pleasant enough, but Hornblower could only guess at the distaste at which she thought of him. _

"_I wish to ask some questions," said Hornblower, carefully "I wish to ask about...the Duke of Provence." _

"_What?" snapped Lady Margaret "The Duke of Provence? Why on __**earth**__ would you want to talk about __**him**__?"_

"_Because...Oh, just never mind about that. Listen, I want to know everything you can tell me about him. Where was he the day he was supposed to see you off?"_

_Lady Margaret turned haughtily away; the memory of __**that**__ day obviously still fresh in her mind. It was apparent that she was no closer to forgiving Hornblower for what had happened to her husband. _

"_W-well," started Alice, talking only because no one else seemed about to, "That's the thing. We never actually __**met**__ the Duke of Provence."_

"_What?" said Hornblower, slightly aghast._

"_Yes. We received word from a man with a written note first thing to say he had an urgent call and had to leave for Paris immediately."_

"_So you didn't actually see him at all that day?" asked Hornblower. _

_His mind was whirring. If the Duke of Provence had not been seen at all that day, then maybe he __**was**__ responsible. He could easily have already been there, informing the French troops that an English sloop would be sailing into their range, that several of the men would be coming ashore. This was it, he was sure-_

"_No," broke out Edith, suddenly, surprising Hornblower who had practically forgotten she was there. "No, that's not quite true. We __**did**__ see him. When we were leaving, remember? He was getting in his carriage for Paris, wasn't he?"_

"_Oh," said Alice "Oh yes. He was. I'd forgotten about that."_

_Frustration pulsed through Hornblower's body, and he had to stop himself from cursing aloud. He had been __**so**__ sure that the Duke of Provence was behind all this._

"_You're sure he was going to Paris?" he asked, as a final hope. _

"_Yes," replied Edith "We watched the carriage take the Paris road ourselves. Why?" she added, suddenly "What are you trying to say?"_

"_Nothing, nothing." Muttered Hornblower, his mind feverish again. Perhaps word had already been passed to the French troops? Perhaps- _

"_Mr Hornblower?" it was Alice. "Are you okay?"_

"_Yes, yes. Sorry," said Hornblower, coming back to his senses. "Thank you, I'll be going now."_

"_Are you quite sure you're alright?"_

"_Yes, yes. Of course! Until later, ladies." Tipping his hat briefly to Alice, Lady Margaret and Edith, Hornblower hurriedly quitted the cabin. _

_He needed time to think. Deep down, he knew he was over-analysing a situation, as usual. But there was something weird going on here, he was sure of it..._

_Without realising, Hornblower had walked right up onto the deck, and into the grey, overcast sky. He strode over to the side of the ship, trying to make sense of things in his head. _

"_Sir?"_

_Hornblower jumped. It was Bush. _

"_Are you alright, Sir?"_

"_Yes, Mr Bush, I am fine. And must I remind you __**again**__ that you are not to refer to me as 'Sir'. It is not appropriate." Hornblower added this almost bitterly. _

"_Yes, yes. Of course. Sorry." _

_There was a few moments silence before-_

"_Are you quite sure you're alright? I thought maybe earlier...Tregorren had no right to say those things...I'll-_

"_I said I'm FINE Bush."_

_Thoroughly annoyed at everything that had happened from the moment Hornblower had touched his hat to Bush that morning, he completely ignored the fact that Bush was his superior, not to mention his friend, and stormed off. _


End file.
